Is it dangerous?

[Morganizer]

My L300 came equipped with a flare under the dash. Is this thing a hazard? Has it got a shelf life and is it likely to still work? Is it useful? How do I dispose of it?

[tonydca]

If its anything like the marine signal flares I've had, I'm betting that the 3(mar)1997 is the manufacture date and the 2(feb) 2001 is the expiry date.

So yes, it's probably past its prime, but it more likely to be non-functional than outright dangerous. But I still wouldn't mess around with antique pyrotechnics.

Leave it somewhere cool and dry and out of the kids reach, and call your local non-emergency fire dept. number. They'll tell you where and how to get rid of it.

[Rising Sun Auto Import]

If its anything like the marine signal flares I've had, I'm betting that the 3(mar)1997 is the manufacture date and the 2(feb) 2001 is the expiry date.

Yes, you are right.

[TardisDeli]

It is safe. It is not actually an exploding flare, it does NOT launch. It is merely a roadside emergency warning thing, kinda like a large match that sputters a bright light and lots of smoke. You just pull off the top, peel off the foil cap, strike to light, and put it on a non flammable area ie the road .... beware the sputters on to your hand will burn you so wear leather work gloves and eye protection and not your best gore-tex jacket. Most of the L300s had them.

The most interesting place we found a dead one was up the far end of the chillwack road, down a horribly steep little hill (almost did an L300 Endo), by a pretty little lake, where we didnt think any other vehicle could have driven ... but obviously a mitsu L300 had been there (naughty naughty of them to litter, bad karma).

Christine